Window shadow and skirting system for manufactured and mobile homes

ABSTRACT

A system for inexpensively updating manufactured mobile homes with decorative window shadows and skirting. Decorative panels are attached to the home by circular metal snaps. The panels may be of vinyl plastic or other suitable material of sufficient thickness to withstand the weather. A base frame is positioned on the ground. The snaps are attached by nails or screws in a conventional manner to the base frame and the lower periphery of the home. The panels have mating snap receivers at their corners which as snapped in place, side by side, between the base frame and the lower periphery of the home structure, thereby forming a skirt surrounding part or all of the structure. The decorative window shadows are panels sized to fit between the windows. These panels are attached to the exterior wall of the home by metal snaps at their corners like the skirting panels.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to manufactured homes. More particularly, the present invention relates to decorative window shadows and skirting for manufactured homes or house trailers.

2. Description of the Related Art

The manufactured home industry, i.e. homes built in two or more sections at a central factory, towed to a home site, and assembled to form the home has revolutionized home building in recent years. The evolution of decorative and elaborate designs has resulted in more attractive homes. Among these improvements include skirting to cover the exposed area below the home and reaching to the ground. Also, the use of window shadows, i.e., decorative panels between windows to give the appearance of a partial brick, stone, or other decorative facade are included in modern designs. Such decorative items may also be used on house trailers. It would be desirable to provide inexpensive window shadow facades and skirting to update older homes which are easily installed and require no screws or complicated panel attachments for installation.

U.S. Pat. No. 4,656,722, issued Apr. 14, 1987, to Armstrong describes lightweight decorative panels for both skirting and exterior wall decoration for a mobile home or the like which simulate stone or brick.

U.S. Pat. No. 3,589,085, issued Jun. 29, 1971, to Sickler, describes posts and skirting for use with a mobile home.

U.S. Pat. No. 3,762,119, issued Oct. 2, 1973, to Sowle, describes a shutter panel assembly for use as decoration for windows.

U.S. Pat. No. 4,214,412, issued Jul. 29, 1980, to Barylski, describes a discrete panel-type skirting system for a mobile home or the like.

U.S. Pat. No. 4,352,261, issued Oct. 5, 1982, to Wargo, describes a skirt construction for mobile homes employing discrete panels.

None of the above inventions and patents, taken either singly or in combination, is seen to describe the instant invention as claimed. Thus a system of decorative window shadows and skirting solving the aforementioned problems is desired.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is a system for inexpensively and easily updating manufactured homes and mobile homes with decorative window shadows and skirting. The inventive system employs decorative panels which may be attached to the home by circular metal snaps such as those used with canvass on boats. The panels may be of vinyl plastic or other suitable material of sufficient thickness to withstand the weather and may be flexible or relatively rigid.

For decorative skirting a base frame is positioned on the ground below the floor of the home at its periphery. The receivers are attached by nails or screws in a conventional manner to the base frame and the lower periphery of the home. The panels have mating snaps at their corners which are snapped in place, side by side, between the base frame and the lower periphery of the home structure, thereby forming a skirt surrounding part or all of the structure. For larger panels, intermediate snaps may be used between the corners to insure a secure attachment and fit. The skirting panels may be plain, decorated, or molded to simulate brick, rock, or other attractive building material.

The decorative window shadows are panels sized to fit between the windows and give the appearance of a facing of brick, or stone, or other contrasting decoration such as simulated shutters. These panels are also easily attached to the exterior wall of the home by metal snaps at their corners in a manner similar to installation of the skirting panels. For large panels, additional snaps may be provided to insure secure attachment.

To cover the snaps and give a better overall appearance, boots in the form of strips of material such a vinyl may be installed over the snaps and connections of the skirting panels at the base frame and the lower periphery of the house structure and extending the length thereof. The boots also provide additional security, holding the panels in place at the snap connections. The boots may be applied in any convenient manner such as adhesive, nails, screws, or a combination thereof. Boot strips may also be used to cover the snaps of the window shadows as desired.

It is an aspect of the invention providing improved elements and arrangements thereof for the purposes described which is inexpensive, dependable and fully effective in accomplishing its intended purposes.

These and other aspects of the present invention will become readily apparent upon further review of the following specification and drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a frontal view of a manufacture homed having a decorative window shadow and skirting system according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an end perspective view of the skirting panels of FIG. 1 as attached between the house base and the ground base frame and the boots partially peeled away.

FIG. 3 is a side perspective view showing a panel of the skirt unsnapped and exploded away from the house base and the ground base frame.

FIG. 4 is a detail frontal view of the house of FIG. 1 with a decorative window shadow exploded away.

FIG. 5 is a detail frontal view of the house of FIG. 1 with a decorative window shadow panel partially pulled away from the outer wall.

Similar reference characters denote corresponding features consistently throughout the attached drawings.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

The present invention is a system for inexpensively and easily updating manufactured homes and mobile homes with decorative window shadows and skirting. The inventive system employs decorative panels which may be attached to the home by circular metal snaps such as those used with canvass on boats. The panels may be of vinyl plastic or other suitable material of sufficient thickness to withstand the weather.

For decorative skirting, a base frame is positioned on the ground below the floor of the home at its periphery. The snaps receivers are attached by nails or screws in a conventional manner to the base frame and the lower periphery of the home. The panels have mating snaps at their corners which as snapped in place, side by side, between the base frame and the lower periphery of the home structure, thereby forming a skirt surrounding part or all of the structure. Upper and lower boots may cover the snaps for a better appearance and to further secure the panels.

The decorative window shadows are panels sized to fit between the windows and give the appearance of a facing of brick, or stone, or other contrasting decoration. These panels are also easily attached to the exterior wall of the home by metal snaps at their corners in a manner similar to installation of the skirting panels.

Referring to the Figures, manufactured house H has the inventive decorative window shadow and skirting system 10 installed thereon. House H has a roof R, outer walls O, windows W, door D and steps S leading between the ground G and the door D. Window shadow panels 12 are decorative rectangular panels of vinyl or other appropriate material located adjacent to and on opposite sides of windows W. Window shadow panels 12 have snaps 14 located at each corner for attachment to outer wall O. Snaps 14 snap over snap receivers 28 (see FIGS. 4 and 5) to secure the panels to the outer walls O. The window shadow panels 12 may be printed or embossed so as to resemble brick, stone, or wooden siding or shutters.

Skirt panels 16 extend between the lower periphery of outer wall O of house H and ground base frame 24 (see FIGS. 2 and 3 where the boots are partially peeled away) and are juxtaposed, side by side, by snaps 24 engaging snap receivers 28 to form a continuous skirt 17 around the lower periphery of house H. Ground base frame 24 rests on the ground G and extends around the base of the house H. As seen in FIGS. 1-3, upper boot 18 extends over the upper snaps 14 and the upper edges of panels 16 to present a more finished appearance and to further secure the panels 16 to the lower periphery of outer wall O. Lower boot 20 extends over the lower snaps 14 along the lower edges of panels 16 to present a more finished appearance and to further secure the panels 16 to the ground base frame 24. The upper boot 18 and lower boot 20 may be strips of rubber or plastic fastened by any convenient attachment such as adhesive, nails, staples, etc.

Although round metal snaps are preferred, other types of snaps may be employed as fasteners in the present invention, such as plastic snap assemblies having an arrow shape snapping into a plastic jaw-type receiver. The panels of the decorative window shadows and skirt are preferably made of plastic sheet to minimize cost, but other materials, such as metal sheet may also be employed.

It is to be understood that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, but encompasses any and all embodiments within the scope of the following claims. 

1. A decorative window shadow and skirting system for manufactured and trailer houses comprising: a plurality of decorative rectangular panels of plastic web construction and having snaps at at least the corners thereof; a plurality of snap receivers located on the outer wall of the house arranged in rectangular patterns and spaced so as receive said snaps of said rectangular panels; a ground base frame located on the ground and having an outer side spaced downward from the lower periphery of the outer walls of the house; and a plurality of snap receivers spaced along said outer side of said ground base frame and a plurality of corresponding snap receivers spaced along the base portion of the house so located and arranged as to receive a plurality of said snaps of said rectangular panels, said rectangular panels being mounted in juxtaposed position so as to form a skirt.
 2. The system of claim 1, wherein said rectangular patterns of snap receivers are located adjacent opposite sides of the windows of the house so that said rectangular panels form decorative window shadows.
 3. The system of claim 2, wherein said rectangular panels have printed or embossed patterns thereon, simulating building materials or shutters.
 4. The system of claim 1, further comprising an upper boot extending along the base portion of the house and covering the snaps of said panels forming said skirt along the base portion of the house for decorative purposes and to further secure said snaps to said snap receivers.
 5. The system of claim 4, further comprising a lower boot extending along said ground base frame and covering the snaps of said panels forming said skirt along said ground base frame to further secure said snaps to said snap receivers.
 6. The system of claim 4, wherein said rectangular panels have printed or embossed patterns thereon, simulating building materials including brick, stone, and siding.
 7. The system of claim 1, wherein said web material is a flexible plastic material.
 8. The system of claim 1, wherein said web material is a relatively rigid plastic sheet material.
 9. The system of claim 1, wherein said skirt extends substantially completely around the house.
 10. A decorative window shadow system for manufactured and trailer houses comprising: a plurality of decorative rectangular panels of plastic web construction and having snaps at at least the corners thereof; and a plurality of snap receivers located on the outer wall of the house arranged in rectangular patterns and spaced so as receive said snaps of said rectangular panels.
 11. The system of claim 10, wherein said rectangular panels have printed or embossed patterns thereon, simulating building materials or shutters.
 12. The system of claim 11, wherein said web material is a flexible plastic material.
 13. The system of claim 11, wherein said web material is a relatively rigid plastic sheet material.
 14. A decorative skirting system for manufactured and trailer houses comprising: a plurality of decorative rectangular panels of plastic web construction and having snaps at at least the corners thereof; a ground base frame located on the ground and having an outer side spaced downward from the lower periphery of the outer walls of the house; and a plurality of snap receivers spaced along said outer side of said ground base frame and a plurality of corresponding snap receivers spaced along the base portion of the house so located and arranged as to receive a plurality of said snaps of said rectangular panels, said rectangular panels being mounted in juxtaposed position so as to form a skirt.
 15. The system of claim 14, further comprising an upper boot extending along the base portion of the house and covering the snaps of said panels forming said skirt along the base portion of the house for decorative purposes and to further secure said snaps to said snap receivers.
 16. The system of claim 14, further comprising a lower boot extending along said ground base frame and covering the snaps of said panels forming said skirt along said ground base frame to further secure said snaps to said snap receivers.
 17. The system of claim 14, wherein said rectangular panels have printed or embossed patterns thereon, simulating building materials including brick, stone, and siding.
 18. The system of claim 17, wherein said web material is a flexible plastic material.
 19. The system of claim 17, wherein said web material is a relatively rigid plastic sheet material. 